It was just more than a year ago, near the trade deadline, when the Knicks — specifically owner James Dolan — decided to trade away key players who kind of fit Mike D’Antoni’s offensive system to get Carmelo Anthony immediately. Couldn’t wait until the off-season, it had to happen right then. Following that up, last summer they let Donnie Nelson walk out the door (or pushed him out, depending on who you want to believe).

This is the Knicks those decisions hath wrought.

A franchise that has lost six in a row and eight out of 10, where the players have tuned out coach Mike D’Antoni, some players want the coach gone, there are cliques in the locker room and among team brass, and there is even talk of trading Anthony in some offices of Madison Square Garden.

Just what this trade deadline needed — Carmelo Anthony trade rumors.

Multiple reports across multiple publications have the Knicks imploding. They are a team put together without regard for how the pieces might fit together and now that the square pegs will not go in the round holes the entire Knicks organization is on edge. The season is collapsing. Ugly losses will do that to you. Here are the highlights.

The players like Mike as a person,” one source said. “They think he’s a good guy. But he doesn’t have the respect of the team anymore.”

D’Antoni is in the last year of a four-year deal and all indications are that he will not be brought back after this season; that is, if he survives the rest of this season…. In addition to questioning D’Antoni, players are complaining about playing time, and confused about the offensive and defensive schemes.

It is lost on no one that the Knicks’ free-fall coincides precisely with the return of Anthony. While Anthony was out with a groin injury, the Knicks won 6 of 7 games, including victories over the Los Angeles Lakers and defending champion Dallas Mavericks. With Lin leading D’Antoni’s offense, the Knicks played fast and free, spacing the floor, hitting the open man, and even improving defensively.

• Anthony — the guy Knicks fans and owner James Dolan just had to have — is at the heart of everything. And according to the New York Post, ‘Melo is frustrated too and is putting together an exit strategy.

According to a person familiar with his thinking, Anthony’s disillusionment stems most from a belief coach Mike D’Antoni and interim GM Glen Grunwald do not trust him. He is surprised that after all the Knicks gave up to trade for him, he has not been asked for more input on personnel decisions, as Deron Williams has with the Nets.

However, Tuesday night, a source said Anthony and D’Antoni spoke in an attempt to reconcile their differences and made headway. On Monday night, Anthony only wanted to remain a Knick if he had assurances D’Antoni wouldn’t be back next season.

• Anthony is not going to request a trade, according to multiple reports.

According to a team source, at least one member of James Dolan’s inner circle wants to trade Anthony for the same reason the Knicks acquired him 13 months ago: money.

Part of that thinking is Jeremy Lin‘s meteoric rise from anonymous bench warmer to international phenomenon. “Linsanity” has created a financial windfall for the Knicks unlike anything they’ve seen before….

There is a feeling inside the organization that it makes business, and to a lesser degree basketball sense, to severe ties with Anthony, the perennial All Star who has struggled since returning from a groin injury.

The lesson here folks is NBA team building 101 — you can’t just throw a collection of stars together. There has to be a grand plan. The Knicks, from the moment they hired D’Antoni as coach, chose the path to be a “seven seconds or less” team — then they went out and got few pieces to fit that style. And the ones they had that did work (like point guard Raymond Felton and forward Danilo Gallinari) had to be traded for ‘Melo.

The Knicks need someone to come in with a plan and — without ownership interference — put the train on some tracks. Doesn’t matter that much what the system is, just pick one and go with it.

You know who could do something like that? Donnie Walsh. Oh, yea, forgot. Sorry.

Of course, this is Dolan’s Knicks, so they are probably closer to bringing back Isiah Thomas…. nah, it can’t be that bad. Can it?